Well, we left Quebec by bus (you can read my article on Quebec here) and arrived in Montreal after two hours journey. To my great surprise, the atmosphere in Montreal is not at all the same as in Quebec. It’s cultured, vibrant, modern and young just like a metropolitan should be. The French language is not at all the same though and sometime we had quite a hard time to understand, so we just spoke English (oups).

Place D’Arme metro station Montreal

Our airbnb was in the Hochelaga neighbourhood, quite far from the center actually but the apartment was nice. There were a few bus lines which took us directly to the center but most of the time we took the metro at Joliette station.

Place d’Arme Montreal

New York City look-alike building in the Vieux Montreal area

Inside the Basilica of Notre Dame, Montreal

Like most of big cities, Montreal has multiple façettes, historical in Vieux Montreal, preppy around McGill University and rock and roll / hippie around Boulevard Saint Laurent. The city is named after “Mont Royal”, the triple-peaked hill lays at the heart of city center. We went there for a walk but didn’t really explore thoroughly. There are a few cute cafés near the area and I can imagine me and Mr hanging out there if we really live in the city .

Peel Metro Station, Montreal

View of the Montreal city from McGill

A walk at the Mont Royal park

Montreal also has a quite impressive Chinatown area. The Chinese community arrived in Canada at the end of the 19th Century, working in gold mine at the Fraser River Valley in British Columbia. They were victims of unfortunate racism so they move to eastern side and established themselves near De La Gauchetierre Street. The area now has numerous specialty stores and a vibrant community life.

Chinatown mural artwork, Montreal

Graffiti at Boulevard Saint Laurent, Montreal

Montreal offers a great cultural activities such as museums, theaters and music events. Basically the Quartier des Spectacles is the main cultural festivals and recognized as urban centers of art. Place des festivales is where you can find Contemporary Art Museum as well as the Montreal Symphony House while in Sherbrooke Street you can find Museum of Fine Arts.

Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal

Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal

Museum of Contemporary Art, Montreal

Overall we really enjoyed Montreal (but I don’t mind a second visit!) It’s no wonder that a number of French expatriates choose this city to be their home. I hope you enjoy the photos and till next post!